HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean have begun to build manned and joint maritime unmanned combat systems for the ROK Navy as the navy continues to conduct unmanned ship operations. Currently, the ROK Navy is planning the “Navy Sea Ghost” combat system based on artificial intelligence (AI) and hyper-connectivity.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on April 22 that the company has recently been awarded the ROK Navy’s “Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) Conceptual Design Project”. The USV will operate on frigates and destroyers, which are the core strength of the ROK Navy’s fleet. It is considered the centerpiece of the South Korean Navy’s unmanned ship business blueprint.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with U.S.-based defense AI company Palantir on April 12 local time, with plans to develop USV that can lead the global market by 2026.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which already owns unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has developed an unmanned-powered command-and-control ship capable of carrying out unmanned reconnaissance missions at sea, underwater and in the air through the use of USVs and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The project began in May 2022 and was completed in December of the same year.
In addition to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean has become the preferred bidder for the “Unmanned Reconnaissance Submarine and Mine Warfare USV Concept Design Program.”
Hanwha Ocean will start designing the exterior of a large USV this year. Since 2022, the company has been working on prototype projects such as the conceptual design of a combat-type UUV, energy systems and technology validation of a very large UUV.
Hanwha Ocean expects the unmanned reconnaissance Submarine, which is currently in the conceptual design stage, to become a major force in the Navy in the future. Once fully operational, it is expected to expand the range of maritime reconnaissance missions that aircraft carriers can perform together with.
Mine Warfare USVs will be used for a variety of purposes. In peacetime, it will be primarily responsible for collecting and analyzing intelligence; in wartime, it will be primarily responsible for detecting and removing mines to ensure safe passage.